California: Buying a new vehicle from out of state
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
California: Buying a new vehicle from out of state
Just purchased a new car. It's being shipped from New Jersey.
I paid all my taxes to the dealership and they are facilitating the registration and plates, etc.
The salesman just called me to tell me to be sure I got the car smog checked for registration.
I've purchased vehicles from out of state before but I always did fly and drive. I paid the taxes myself at the CAdmv...
But I think I remember never having to get smogged. The vehicle is BRAND NEW.
Am I correct that I don't need to get a brand new car smog checked?
Thanks
I paid all my taxes to the dealership and they are facilitating the registration and plates, etc.
The salesman just called me to tell me to be sure I got the car smog checked for registration.
I've purchased vehicles from out of state before but I always did fly and drive. I paid the taxes myself at the CAdmv...
But I think I remember never having to get smogged. The vehicle is BRAND NEW.
Am I correct that I don't need to get a brand new car smog checked?
Thanks
#2
Racer
I bought my '09 911 out of state last year via private sale. I had the car delivered to my house. Step 1 - go get the car smogged. Step 2 - go to DMV to pay outrageously high sales and license fees AND to have them verify the car is legal to drive in California including smog certificate. If you buy an out of state car regardless of age, you need to get the car smogged. Silly rule for a new car, but this is California. Need I say more about silly rules?
#6
Racer
total extra cost with a cheap smog shop is around $35 here in SFV. Just an extra piece of paper to bring to the DMV. They didn't give the car too hard of an inspection. Worst part was waiting for the dude to come outside to look at the car. That took about 30 minutes. He did NOT say anything about the car having no plates on it at all. Front or rear. I think you'll be ok there...
#7
Wait a minute, you are buying a brand new car(never registered before) and CA wants it smog tested? That's news to me, I thought the law was no smog checks needed for first 4 years.
Also, always pay the taxes yourself at local DMV, if the NJ sellers did not do it properly you won't be able to register it or have to pay it again.
Also, always pay the taxes yourself at local DMV, if the NJ sellers did not do it properly you won't be able to register it or have to pay it again.
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#9
Racer
Wait a minute, you are buying a brand new car(never registered before) and CA wants it smog tested? That's news to me, I thought the law was no smog checks needed for first 4 years.
Also, always pay the taxes yourself at local DMV, if the NJ sellers did not do it properly you won't be able to register it or have to pay it again.
Also, always pay the taxes yourself at local DMV, if the NJ sellers did not do it properly you won't be able to register it or have to pay it again.
Agree with the taxes comment. I wouldn't have agreed to them processing the taxes. You could have done that yourself.
#10
Pro
If the car has never been registered and is in fact 'brand new' I don't think you'll need a smog certification since it's 50 state car. You may need to bring it into the DMV for inspection to make sure that it complies w/ California regulations.
#11
Drifting
Thread Starter
I was thinking of doing a fly and drive but one of my friends made a great point to me.
"Driving an R8 spyder across the country, your first experience with the car will be everything that's negative about the car without really being able to enjoy the positive."
The car is really small, no storage, etc. I thought he made a great point. It's not like taking delivery of a car in Portland and driving the coast. That's how I took delivery of the Turbo. it was incredible!
#12
Drifting
Thread Starter
I had spoken with another dealer that I was negotiating with and she said the same thing, "They won't send the car until the registration gets handled."
I believe Audi of America would not let them ship the car to me sans tags and registration, taxes and fees paid. I further believe the reason for this is to prevent vehicles from being shipped out of the country or never registered (taxes paid.)
In both cases, both Audi dealerships told me, they had to handle it. So despite my better judgment, I gave them the $14,000 in taxes and then another $1200 in registration fee's and I now have a NJ temp plate on the car as it makes it's trek cross country.
Hopefully all will go smooth when it lands in Fruit and Nut Ville.
It's a good thing I got the car for nearly $40k off MSRP or I might really have been pissed
#14
Drifting
Thread Starter
#15
I bought my '09 911 out of state last year via private sale. I had the car delivered to my house. Step 1 - go get the car smogged. Step 2 - go to DMV to pay outrageously high sales and license fees AND to have them verify the car is legal to drive in California including smog certificate. If you buy an out of state car regardless of age, you need to get the car smogged. Silly rule for a new car, but this is California. Need I say more about silly rules?
No smog cert needed B-Line.